


Just a Few More Bottles of Cream Soda

by Wonderlandleighleigh



Category: Justified
Genre: AU, Gen, Kidfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 11:49:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3289295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandleighleigh/pseuds/Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mags Bennett knows a thing or two about Bennetts, Crowders and Givens'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just a Few More Bottles of Cream Soda

It doesn't take intuition to know that the three gangly teens shopping at her store are as different as they can be.

Mags Bennett's got eyes, and better than that, she's got a brain.

But that intuition helps quite a bit.

Three sixteen-year-olds. Two girls and a boy. Two blondes and a redhead.

Josh and Bella Crowder, and Josh's best friend, Shelley Givens.

Mags can see their daddies in them. Like she can see Doyle in her grandbabies. They're the same age as these ones. Everybody's gettin' so big.

Especially Shelley, but Mags thinks that's probably because she don't spend much time in Harlan 'less there's something going on, like the Crowder twins' birthday.

The party is tomorrow, and Shelley's stayin the weekend for the first time in god only knows.

Mags’ grandbabies are going to that party, too; Cal and Trevor are enormous now, at ages fourteen and sixteen, and Mags feels old.

She feels old standin in her own store, watching these three load up on candy and cola.

The two girls are real pretty.

Bella’s got shiny blonde hair that never looks outta place, and she’s always dressed in something pretty. Usually pink or white. She’s tall and curvy and Mags has to shut down improper talk about the girl all the time from men old enough to be Bella’s father.

They talk a good game, but nobody goes near her. And not because her parents run a big chunk of the drug trade in Harlan. Oh no. Nobody goes near Bella Crowder because there’s something not right about her; there’s something cold and twisted in there, and if you look deep enough into those eyes of hers, you’ll find it.

And wish you hadn’t.

Shelley is different. Orange-red hair (must be from her mama’s side of things because no Givens ever had that kinda hair) pulled into a ponytail, and deep dark eyes like her daddy. She’s skinny like him, too; tall and dressed like a ball player in a pair of dusty jeans and Chuck Taylor sneakers and a gray t-shirt that reads “Washington Nationals” in faded red lettering.

There’s something easy and cool about Shelley, like her daddy, but less damaged. Whatever else you say about Raylan Givens he’s one hell of a father. Mags remembers watching the Marshal pick up a snack for his daughter when Shelley was real little, and thinking how gentle the usually harsh Raylan Givens was with his baby.

Now Shelley’s pleasant and polite and helpful and all things that Mags believes girls should be.

Josh is not what anyone expects. He’s a soft spoken boy. Sensitive, and kind. He’s got dark eyes and blonde hair like his sister. He’s tall, too, but a little thicker than his sister. Well-muscled, some of the younger women say. Handsome as anything, and he plays guitar and sings. If he wasn’t such a good, gentle soul, he’d get his ass kicked by the other boys at school for seeming a little “gay” but he’s just too damn likable for that shit. He plays football with Cal and Trevor in the fall. Bella’s on the cheer squad. Sometimes Raylan brings Shelley down to watch the game and cheer on her friend.

“You ain’t really family, you know,” Bella says, cool as a cucumber as she and Shelley stand in front of the candy.

Shelley just looks at the other girl before picking up a pack of Twizzlers. “S’okay. That just means I can kiss your brother without feelin’ weird.”

Mags does her best not to laugh at that, or the way Bella’s eyes widen in shock, and the way Shelley grins like a cat that ate the canary.

Josh, of course, hears none of this. “Hey, Mags has cream soda this week! I call that a jackpot!”

Shelley’s grin widens as she steps past Bella to go see.

Crowders, Bennetts and Givens’ work real different. Crowders are all about fear, while the Bennetts got nothin’ but business savvy, and Givens’…well, they got brains. They’ll outsmart you before you can even blink.

Turn that all up a notch cause they’re girls.

Mags always wanted girls of her own. She loves her boys of course, but girls...

She watches Shelley hip check Josh playfully as they calculate how many cream sodas they can afford.

The bell on the door jingles and Mags looks up to find Marshal Givens stepping inside. “Howdy, there, Raylan.”

He nods. “Mags.”

“Daddy!” Shelley calls, and then dashes over. “Daddy can we have a little extra for a few more cream sodas?”

“Only if you get me one,” Raylan grins, pulling his wallet out.

“You can have two!” Josh calls out, his arms full of the bottles.

Shelley takes the offered money and kisses Raylan’s cheek before dashing back to Josh.

Raylan just shakes his head and steps over to the counter. “They ain’t any trouble, are they?”

“Not to me,” Mags says, grinning a little. “Shelley and Bella had a moment, though.”

Raylan quirks an eyebrow.

“Those two girls. One’s cold as ice, and the other’s got a tongue as fiery as her hair.”

“Bella tried to start somthin’ and Shelley finished it?” Raylan asks.

Mags nods. “Pretty much.”

"Yeah, that ain't new," Raylan shrugs, leaning on the counter. "They been doin' that dance since they were little." 

The kids walk up to the register with their arms full of sweets and sodas and Mags rings them up quick. Once the money's handed over, Shelley tosses a bottle to Raylan who catches it easy. 

"Josh, Bella, your mom's lookin' for you," Raylan says. "You wanna lift home?" 

"Sure, Uncle Raylan," Josh grins, carrying his loot out the door. Bella follows without much noise, and Shelley grins up at her daddy. 

"Heard you and Bella had a moment," Raylan says lightly as he uncaps the bottle of cream soda. 

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," Shelley smirks as she tears into a bag of licorice. 

"Uh-huh. Go get in the car." 

Shelley laughs just a little and wanders out the door. 

Raylan shakes his head and then tips his hat to Mags. "Thanks." 

She chuckles. "You be careful, Raylan Givens, those babies gonna be the death of you." 

"Don't I know it," he calls back as he walks out, leaving the shop quiet.


End file.
